


Could You, And All Your Colours, Learn How To Hold Me?

by MollyYellow



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Dysfunctional Family, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Fix-It, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, May be a bit OOC, Rating May Change, Recovery, Redemption, Tags May Change, Team as Family, no beta help, spoils vanilla p5 only, vanilla p5 timeline, written before royal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:55:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23562655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MollyYellow/pseuds/MollyYellow
Summary: He couldn’t even imagine a scenario where the boy would end up dying alone on the cold, unforgiving metal floor of the engine room. It was too much. Who would miss him? Who would have wondered what had happened to him? What expectly would Akechi have been feeling as he bled out? Regret? Dejection? Hopelessness?Akira diverted his gaze back to Goro laying on the table, swaying in and out of consciousness. Tae must have given him some sort of painkiller- an almost blissed out expression played out upon his face. Their eyes met- Akechi’s reddish-brown searching feverishly for the other boy’s clear silver ones.How the hell would he have been able to cope with losing someone as compelling, fascinating and incredible as Goro Akechi?
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist, Niijima Makoto/Okumura Haru
Comments: 29
Kudos: 150





	1. Venetian Red

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello all! I’ve been sneaking about in this fandom for a long time and I've had this au in mind for a while now. This is my first official fanfic and going by my notes… it’s going to be long. This first chapter is purely for canon divergence and exposition. I'm also wrote this before p5r is out in the west and i'm avoiding spoilers... so p5 timeline for this fic! Please enjoy and feel free to leave any criticism in the comments below!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello all! I’ve been sneaking about in this fandom for a long time and I've had this au in mind for a while now. This is my first official fanfic and going by my notes… it’s going to be long. This first chapter is purely for canon divergence and exposition. I'm also wrote this before p5r is out in the west and i'm avoiding spoilers... so p5 timeline for this fic! Please enjoy and feel free to leave any criticism in the comments below!

Goro Akechi hated living. He hated the adult's lies and manipulation. He hated the media's constant attention, despite craving it's praise. Hated the fangirls that invaded his privacy ceaselessly. Hated the nightmares. Hated the fact that his mother had given up on life and doomed his own. Hated seeing the blood on his hands. He despised the look of concern in Kurusu’s eyes... 

...He especially hated the looks of sympathy and pity the rest of the Thieves now threw his way. Akechi struggled to stand, there would surely be bruising beneath the striped body-suit. Maybe his skin would liken to those blackish blues that made up his costume. They were the colours of a killer afterall. If anything, he deserved to be littered with spoils and scars.

Crouched here now, Akechi choked on his guilt. Within the span of a day, his whole life goal had been torn apart - completely and utterly destroyed. It was laughable really, how much of a fool he’d been from the beginning. Had he become Shido’s naive puppet so quickly that even he himself did not notice?

Fighting the Thieves- as painful as the aftermath was- had cleared his mind, forcing his sealed eyes to open, giving him an almost cathartic feeling. That same feeling plagued through his body now, mind racing, every action and discourse flooding his head, pounding relentlessly. His vision swam in a haze. Slowly, he raised his head as the Thieves looked at him questioningly.

Skull was the one who stepped forward out of the group first. The shadows of the engine room casted themselves on his mask as he repeated his earlier question. “So, you ready to call it quits?” He tapped his foot. Even exhausted Ryuji still had his overwhelming energy.

“I know…” Akechi looked away. “I’ve had enough.”

“... You’re so lucky,” Akechi shifted his gaze back up and searched for Joker’s eyes. “So… lucky to be surrounded and loved by people: teammates, friends-”

“Akechi...” Haru spoke up, but he refused to be distracted by her.

“And once Shido is taken down, you'll all be regarded as heroes. As for me, everyone will find out I was nothing but a charade, a fake, a mockery… all my lies exposed. The public will find out I'm nothing but some pathetic  _ bastard  _ child!” The brunette took a breath, then another, his eyes stung.

“...In the end, I couldn’t be special…” His voice wavered. Shifting backwards, he smiled sadly, lowering his head and closing his eyes. 

“That’s not true!” Joker approached Akechi, his mouth pulled into a frown. Having his rival stare him down like that used to be so exhilarating. They’d both rise to each other's challenges, a competitive flare becoming lit between the two boys. Their strange, almost intimate, rivalry at times had been something so important to Akechi. Currently, nothing of that unshakable stubbornness was vacant in Joker’s expression. It was infuriating. He supposed he must really look that pitiful huh…

His brooding was interrupted when a flash of blonde appeared in his line of sight “Dude, you’re more than special…” Skull said simply.

This grabbed Akechi’s attention. He looked up and opened his eyes wide; brows rising up in disbelief. To his knowledge, the blonde hated his guts even before realising he would become a traitor to the team. Why bother showing him sympathy now? It wasn't like the delinquent to lie...

“It pains me to admit,” Queen started, “But your wit and strength far exceeds ours. None of us could have defeated you without teaming up. I envied you. It hurts to know I can never match up to you. Seeing how much Sae liked and even trusted you.” She sighed, “I never realised how different your true self actually was.”

Noir slowly walked up to Makoto, placing one hand on her shoulder daintily, contrasting the harsh glare she shot Akechi. 

“I’m not forgiving you for what you did to Father… but I do understand, I sympathise with you. I get wanting to get back at the people that took everything from you, but this,”she stepped back, spreading her arms out, slightly raising her voice “ _ this _ is not the way you go about it!”

What the hell did  _ she  _ know?! Akechi gritted his teeth together. A rich girl like her couldn't comprehend the absolute shit he’d gone through his whole childhood; the awful foster homes and almost daily abuse was a special kind of hell she of all people wouldn’t understand. 

“You say that like I had a choice! I had to get revenge. After  _ everything, _ I had to get justice for myself and  _ especially  _ for her!”

Fox stared up at the ceiling. “It’s not your motive that’s the issue. It would be very unreasonable of us to criticise you for that. However, unlike us you used your power to further your goals for your own self-benefit. Perhaps had you learnt the method of changing hearts earlier, things would be different… Who can say?”

Sadly, Akechi knew the answer to that seemingly rhetorical statement. Shido wouldn’t have been pleased with a mere change of heart, he wanted fear induced into anyone that stepped in his way. His desire for murder and blackmail made Akechi wear the mask of a stone-cold assassin in turn- a mask that was literally falling to pieces upon his face. He had actually tried some while ago to cease the abundance of crimes Shido made him commit at least every week.

He learnt what happened very quickly if he disobeyed Shido and wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. Not until he could finally tear him down with his own two hands at least. Throughout his brooding, Futaba had strolled up closer to the enraged boy. Akechi didn't have the energy this time to throw the necessary aggressiveness to make her flee back to the group. 

"It seems like you've got the same power as Joker. Weird how different you two ended up being." Oracle moved one hand, weaving sections of hair between her gloves.

Joker seemed to perk up at this, rubbing a hand against the back of his neck uncomfortably. A silence had fallen upon the Thieves. Too many unsaid words and questions being crushed by the tense atmosphere. Akechi moved a clawed hand to rest on his right side. Damn. He's pretty sure that Joker had cast a couple of well-landed spells on his body and the longer they spoke, the more aware of his injuries he became.

Before he had the chance to open his own mouth, Skull beat him to it. "Well, we better hurry and get that calling card out, what're you gonna do?" 

"What am I-?"

"It'll be a big pain if you keep getting in our way, so come along with us. We can all settle things this way right?" Panther chimed in, ever the optimist, throwing Akechi a smile in the process.

No way. This wasn't the punishment… this wasn't what he deserved. Were they seriously accepting him? Was The Phantom Thieves full of brainless individuals? He squinted through the damaged black mask. "A-are you all idiots? Why-why don't you all just get rid of me?!" 

"...." Akechi moved slowly, sitting back on his heels. This way he could properly see their expressions. It hurt. Almost knocking the air out of his lungs. He blinked, mouth open at the array of acceptance in front of him. Even through their masks, he could clearly see their hopes and smiles gracing their faces as they extended their invitation once again. 

The dread of hope gnawed at his insides meticulously. He really, really didn't deserve this. Although, this is exactly what he always wanted, right? Acceptance? Even after everything he'd done, after seeing his true colours, The Phantom Thieves still wanted him around? He couldn't believe it. 

Joker walked a couple of steps forward, offering his hand to the boy who knelt below him. "It's never too late to change."

Goro looked back down to the harsh metal surface below. "You truly are all beyond my comprehension."

He sighed, letting his tears flow freely, giving into hope just this once. As much as he didn't deserve this opportunity or anything like it, he was just so, so tired. 

As soon as he raised his hand to join Joker's own, cruel sharp laughter echoed out behind him. The two wildcards spun towards the noise in alarm.

"Holy shit!"

"Is.. Is that Akechi?!" 

"No way, a cognition?!" Goro cursed his comically bad luck. Squinting at the image before him. The cognition certainty looked like him, but with the disturbing absence of any light or emotion in his eyes, leaving a cold blank stare on his face. 

"There you are." The cognition's voice matched his heartless glare.

Akechi's blood ran frigid. Shuffling backwards, he tried to calm himself down.

"And what do you think you're doing running about in the Captain's head?” His double pulled a gun out, previously tucked away, and aimed at Akechi's forehead.

The brunette went completely still. Heart racing fast. He couldn't hear the Thieves’ protests anymore. The noise zoned out and words had started blurring together, too fast for him to keep up with as his breathing slowed abruptly. 

“Ah, no response. Well, this certainly sets the schedule forward… Captain Shido has no need for pathetic losers. He planned for you to be disposed of eventually.”

“..?!”  _ Plan?! _ Had Shido planned to kill him from the start? His eyes spread wider. Of course… he’d seen through him… but wouldn't that mean-

“He knew all about you~.” he sang, ending in a chuckle. “ _ Akechi? _ Seriously, don’t think so little of our Captain! Did you really think he would spare you after all the murders?”

The cognition grounded the gun harsher against the rebel’s forehead.

“Ha! Oh you poor boy... were you feeling good about someone relying on you for once?”

“SHUT UP!” Raising his clawed gloves, Akechi scratched at his helmet, until he realised what he was doing. Huffing out breath, he chanced standing, finding his legs much more compliant than they had been a while ago.

“...I see, so this is how Shido protects himself if I used my power on him. Great, so you’re the puppet made to kill me?”

“...Look at yourself,” The cognition sneered, “you’re the true puppet!”

A wave of nausea consumed Akechi at the sight of his own face contort into a sickening grin. The feeling of disgust settled deep into his bones.

“You wish to be  _ loved _ ,  _ wanted?  _ What an idiot, you’ve been nothing but a fool _ \-  _ a mindless  _ puppet  _ from the very beginning!”

All the Thieves in clear disgust, shouted out,

“ _You_ _little...!_ ”

“So this is how Masayoshi Shido thinks of Goro Akechi? No… it’s too horrible!”

It was horrible. If only he knew that Shido had found him out from the go-ahead. He wouldn’t, he couldn’t… no. He  _ never  _ had a chance of getting his justice. He really had been some blind fool this whole time…

He had never been crushed by the sheer guilt of what Shido made him do; the lives he would be set out to ruin, because of his overarching goals. But now as he realised that they were never going to be a reality… just what the hell had he done?! There’s no hope left for him now. The beaten-up brunette laughed self-deprecatingly.

“Akechi!” Haru draws near to them desperately. In turn, the cognition presses the gun further yet again into Goro's skull. A warning. She faults in her approach, steps coming to an abrupt halt.

Joker backed off too, grabbing the arm of a frightened Futaba in the process; seemingly fearing his and Crow’s safety should he remain here any longer.

“It’s not too late!” Haru pleaded. “Let’s all take his heart together! Even- no, because he’s your father!”

The cognition threw his head to the side.

“What’s all this yapping? Want me to take you out first?!” Around the double, four high level shadows are suddenly summoned in, appearing as whips of black smoke out of thin air.

“He’s not alone?! Akechi goddamn it,  _ get out of there _ !” Ann screamed at him, stance on the defensive.

But Akechi’s not listening. His entire body has frozen up again; limbs turned to steel. It’s impossible to move. Why even try? All he can think about is that this is what he deserves, he’ll be killed here, right in front of the people that actually gave a crap about someone as awful as him. He’s going to die, he’s going to die, he’s going to die, he’s going to-

“Why don’t one of you volunteer yourselves to take his place? Maybe you’ll ever delay his death just a little longer.” The Thieves watch on in horror.

“Oh  _ come on _ ! I thought you were all about doing things for each other? It’s the same as me! I’d do  _ anything  _ for the Captain, I'll die for him, kill for him, and I'll take all the blame for him too.”

He looked back to Akechi, pleased with the fear etched into his face.

“Now you know how hopeless your fate is, I’ll give one last chance. Shoot them. There was nothing left for him any longer. Mechanically, he unholstered his gun and pointed it ahead, point blank between the eyes of...Joker. Hadn’t Akechi suffered enough? Why him?  _ Why him? _

“That’s right.” The cognition broke out a vicious smile. “ _ That’s _ the you our Captain wishes to see!”

_ Oh God no, what am I doing?! _ Panic flashed in the brunette’s eyes as he sees dread reflect back through Joker’s own. He couldn’t stop his arm from shaking. Although minutely, Joker had noticed and visibly relaxed. Goro can’t kill him. He never wanted to hurt him in the first place, but if he disobeyed the cognition, it would surely let the shadows loose on the already-injured Thieves- they won’t have any time to run. It’ll be a bloodbath. If only he could create a distraction… if only...

Behind Joker's head, almost out of view, lied the bulkhead door emergency button. Akechi’s eyes trailed over it; breaking his shared gaze with Joker. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. It’ll have to work. He opened them once again and smiled unhappily at Kurusu who stiffened up; gaze meeting Akechi’s as cold sweat ran down his face.

Akechi mouthed a silent farewell....

“Don’t misunderstand.” Goro declared firmly. Immediately, he trained his gun towards his double.

“YOU’RE THE ONE WHO’S GOING TO DISAPPEAR!”  _ Bang!  _ Straight in the stomach, the bullet pierces through his clone.

“ _ GAH!? _ ”

After recovering from the recoil, he pivoted back to the button, firing straight through the glass.

_ “The watertight bulkhead door has closed. All personnel within the partition wall, evacuate at once.” _

Joker freezed, his body turning to lead. _ No way. This couldn’t be what Goro was planning… _ His rival had always been strong willed and determined. His persistence and determination were faucets of Akechi’s personality Akira admired. However, seeing how his stubbornness continued, even during now of all times, Akira couldn't help but feel aggravated.

Finally, he had seen Akechi’s true self: the miserable, lonely, destructive boy he really was. He’d finally dropped his metaphorical mask and instead of the disapproval, disgusted looks Goro had probably expected, he received nothing but kindness and empathy from the Thieves. After all the fighting, the raven-head was supposed to be okay with Akechi sentencing himself to a premature death?

Without a second thought, Akira broke into a sprint. The feeling of weightlessness soared through him. He barely has any time with the partition wall rising as rapidly as it was. His feelings for Akechi were more than complicated by this point, yet he wasn't going to just give up and allow the brunette to sacrifice himself. The flames of rebellion course throughout his body as instinct and adrenaline take over.

“Joker!?” Makoto failed to reach out to him. 

“H-Hey where are you go-!?” Mona screeched, unable to finish his question, as the trickster rushed past them towards the wall. The Thieves can only watch and gasp as he raced towards Akechi on the other side.

When he reached the wall, he barely had enough time to jump up and get a hand on the ledge. Shifting his weight up and straining his arm muscles, he pushed himself over, legs flailing, before he crashed down; rolling onto his side. Two gasps rang out simultaneously as he met the stunned shared gaze of Akechi and his clone. 

Akira _ could not  _ waste this opportunity. One of the raven-haired’s first lessons in the metaverse was how important the element of surprise is in turning a seemingly hopeless battle into a guaranteed victory. While a victory was far from certain, he hoped Morganna’s advice would at least give him the upper hand. Kicking himself back up, he reaches for one of his knives, throwing it as hard and fast as he can at the awful cognition. It slices the air, planting itself straight into the double’s forearm.

Screaming in agony, the cognition reeled back, barking out a string of curses. Akechi turned rapidly to the trickster, fists clenched.

“What the  _ hell  _ are you doing?!” He paused, clutching his stomach; wheezing. “ _ Are you trying to get yourself killed?! _ ”

He hears banging and shouting on the other side of the wall. The Thieves must have heard the screams. 

Before Joker could even open his mouth, much less reply, terrible, maniacal laughter echoed around the two. “Oh, look at who’s joined us!”

The cognition grabbed hold of the knife wedged into his arm and pulled with inhuman force. It clattered to the floor, the blade of the knife meeting with the metal floor producing a cringeful noise. It reverberates to both of the boys, making them wince.

“HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT!” Akechi’s clone screamed at Joker, his gun now trained on him, aiming straight at his forehead.

The sight was all too familiar to Akira, who becomes glued to the spot, body in paralysis as the trauma he shoved so far back replays over and over and over

\----

_ Akechi scoffs cruelly. The dim lights of the interrogation room play menacingly upon his face. It’s with a crazed smirk and a sneer, that he lines up the barrel of the gun with his temple. _

_ ‘“Case closed. This is how your justice ends.”’ _

_ The bullet rushes through his brain, instantly killing him. Except, not really. It’s not really Akira’s head that thuds down onto the table, blood spilling over. But Akechi thinks it is. He lays his gun down on the table, moving lifeless fingers over the trigger. He turns and walks calmly towards the door. With a final emotionless look back, he’s gone… _

\----

Kurusu took a step back, desperately trying to slow his speeding heartbeat and regain feeling into his person. Unfortunately, it’s too little too late for Akira, he’s open to the shot; guard down. The once menacing trickster now reduced to a mere deer in headlights. 

Goro blinked, tilting his head questioningly. Why isn’t he moving? He managed to leap over that wall and stab that shadow with as much grace and bravo as a-well- a thief. Now, at the mercy of the cognition, his confidence has exhausted, like some lake on a sweltering month or freezing over during a harsh winter. It didn’t take being a detective to know something has Joker completely and utterly spooked. Akechi assessed the situation, prying apart the details. 

He doesn’t like his deduction because it’s his own fault. The fear that’s petrifying the person so intent on saving his life, is of his own wrongdoing. He can’t do anything. The worry of his voice or action alarming the other boy and terrorizing him further leaves him with the hopeless realisation that there’s nothing he can do…

...nothing he can do that Joker hasn’t already done for him…

Akechi yells out a battle cry.

He broke into a sprint. It’s crazed, erratic and he can’t seem to put one foot in front of the other. If he doesn’t do anything now, Akira’s going to die. He’ll be shot, just like how he shot Akira’s own clone. He couldn’t let someone as kind, self-sacrificing and good natured as Akira Kurusu die for the likes of him. If only they could have met earlier, if only Akechi hadn’t been such a damn fool. He surged towards the boy, barrelling into him, his momentum hitting Akira at full force, knocking him to the ground.

Joker groaned. Goro’s balance was thrown off, he too expected to fall to the ground soon after.

But it's not before the gun fires- twice in quick succession, one bullet making a clean hole through Goro’s shoulder, the other narrowly missing his head.

He collapsed on to the ground. 

At first, his entire being grew numb. Then, all at once, searing pain enveloped him. It was too much. It left him choking on air, wheezing, panting, limbs flailing hysterically as he tried to stand. 

Joker, now aware of reality, reached out from beneath the brunette. Sitting up, he moved his trembling hands up towards the other boy’s waist in an attempt to stop his violent thrashing. Akechi made a heart wrenching noise in return; a stifled wail of pain. Immediately, Joker drew his hands back, as though he’d been burned. His gloves were damp and wet; something’s dripping.

The raven-head tore his gaze from the boy in the black mask down to a gloved hand. Already crimson red; his gloves appeared even redder, darkened slightly by the imprint of Goro’s blood. Blood, the colour of Venetian Red poured from his open wounds. It was the same colour that floods his vision now; misery and rage drowned him as the other boy tensed, body crumbling into his own. Akechi spasmed violently, his head drooping down to rest on Akira’s torso, inside of his leather jacket.

“ _ Akechi? _ AKECHI!” Joker’s hands returned to him, shaking the boy rigorously. All he received in return is a huff, the boy raising his head slightly, a brief glimpse of his reddish brown eyes, another shake and then quietly-

“...I’m… sorry… for everything...” He closed his eyes; energy spent, and slumped back down.

Amidst the panic, the cognition trained the gun back towards the two, face full of triumphant glee. Joker looked to the cognition and held Akechi tighter to his chest, brows furrowing in frustration. He was about to reach for his own gun when all of a sudden there’s an awful, powerful crash. 

The Phantom Thieves are suddenly a hundred times louder than they were previously. From the large, ragged, metal hole, Haru led the charge. Her persona summoned behind her, skirt open, guns on show.

“ _ Milady! _ ” Haru commanded, tears rolling down her face, “RIP HIM TO PIECES!” Her persona obeys; it’s horrifying. In mere seconds, the cognition of Goro Akechi is reduced to shreds. His body splitting apart by the onslaught of bullets raining into the servant’s being.

The marionette is reduced to nothing but thin, wispy black smoke. Noir, now holding back sobs, as her gaze adverts to Joker and Crow covered in blood. Her weeps started to increase, breath hastening.

The rest of Thieves poured into the room. Each of them summoned their own personas and casted an array of spells and physical skills to the weaker remaining shadows. Once the enemies were disposed of, chaos erupts.

Skull and Panther ran at full speed towards Joker and Akechi. Queen repeated a mantra of “no”, her hands came up to her face in shock. Fox was rooted to the spot; expression filled with dismay. Oracle’s legs gave out. She bawled her eyes out on the floor. A worried Mona tugged at her costume. 

Joker eventually came to realise they’ve conjectured the worst outcome. Clearing his throat, he sat up straighter, balancing an unresponsive Goro in his arms.

“I-I’m fine.” Akira breathed out.

Panther and Skull suddenly slow down in their approach. The rest of the Thieves brighten up.

“But… Akechi...he’s...” The trickster’s throat tightens, saying any words felt as heavy as stone.

“No, no. He’s isn’t- is he?” Fox’s deep voice wavers.

Akira didn’t know, so he jostled Goro until his head fell back away from his chest. He was still breathing, but his eyes were dazed, unfocused and whimpering quietly. Akira placed a gentle hand on his head; his mask and helmet previously discarded during the conflict. Threading his fingers through soft locks, his thumb came to caress the boy’s cheek. Joker searched for Goro's eyes and spoke up once again.

“He needs help. Please, we need to leave.” It’s much easier to throw back on the mask of a leader as the others finally made their way over. Panther crouched down and scanned his body. Her face scrunched up as her view met Crow’s shoulder.

“Let me try this first. Can’t have him bleeding out now, can we?”

Joker let her plant herself next to him. She immediately went straight to work casting Diarama. The soft blue glow brightened up the dimly lit room. It created a strange wave of serenity, in juxtaposition with the tense and anxious atmosphere.

“I’m checking if there’s a faster way out now.” Oracle reported, sniffing a little.

\----

Akira couldn’t tell if it had been mere minutes or hours since the Thieves arrived on the scene. Akechi was a lot less dead than he was before; groaning and frowning. He wasn’t bleeding out anymore, which relieved Joker but he wasn’t exactly in good shape either.

"Okay, that's the best I can do for now." Ann said calmly. She stood from her position, brushing off the dust that had gathered on the red latex suit. 

"Any update on another exit?" Queen, ever the responsible one, asked Oracle. The redhead was so focused on what she was doing, that she didn't respond until Fox rested a hand down onto a petite shoulder. 

"Oh uh, yeah. There's a big section we can skip without taking any vent shafts.” Joker added. They had a plan. They could finally leave this hell hole.

“Great work Oracle, let’s go.” The Thieves gave out various affirmations and started to get ready to go. 

Thus, with a bit of struggle, Skull helped Joker fold Crow into his arms, holding him close to his body and letting the other boy rest his head in the crook of his neck. If he wasn't in such pain, Joker would tease the brunette of romantic implications regarding their arrangement. However, this wasn't exactly the correct mood to be joking around in. 

With an “All okay?” from Queen and an affirmative gesture from Joker, the Phantom Thieves raced back towards the entrance of the ship. They darted around corners, sped down the empty ship's luxury halls and flew down the grand staircases.

When they finally reach the main doors, Fox was quick to open the metaverse app and transport them back to the real world.

They ended up in an alley, some way from where they entered the Palace. When the Thieves had arrived at the Diet building, it had been early afternoon. It was late evening now. Starry constellations along with the streetlights of modern day Tokyo, spread globes of light across the sky. Apart from the howling wind and odd car surguring past, it was a silent, deceptively calm night. The Thieves had already checked for onlookers. They were safe, for now. 

arefully, Akechi was pulled from Akira's arms and perched onto Ryuji's back. The detective was passed out by this point, eyes shut tightly. His dead weight had the athletic blonde wobbling for a second. 

Pure adrenaline had helped Akira carry the brunette all the way to the front of the Palace. Now, the hormone has subsided and the raven-head started to feel just how sore his arms and legs became. He wasn’t the only one of course, after the battle with the cleaner, the shadows and Goro Akechi himself, the Thieves were all utterly exhausted.

It was almost nostalgic of when they first started out; himself, Ann, Ryuji and Morganna. They’d come back from Kamoshida’s Castle and felt the demand to sleep for weeks; Akira would have done exactly that if Sojiro had let him. They’d certainly come a long way since then. Haru was asking the group something, so Akira stopped reminiscing and shifted his focus back to the matters at hand. 

“What if he gets recognised?” She had a troubled look on her face.

Makoto bit the inside of her cheek, “I mean, it’s pretty late so I think it’ll be okay. Where is the nearest hospital?”

“I'm looking now.” Yuskue pulled his phone out, eyebrows together in concentration.

“Wait! Wait!” Futaba perked up, waving her arms aimlessly. “That’s like, the worst place for him to go right now!”

The artist huffed. “I’ve stopped looking now.”

The rest of The Thieves shot her a glance synchronously. “I mean, obviously he needs medical attention… but I doubt he’ll have any privacy. What happens when the doctors start asking questions? They're gonna want to know what happened…”

There was a beat of silence.

“Oh yeah, so what are we gonna do?" Ryuji shifted the sleeping boy on his back. "No offence, but... he’s heavy... so…” 

Kurusu played with a loose strand of hair. Think, where can they get urgent medical treatment that isn’t a hospital? His eyes widened. Pulling out his phone and opening his contacts, he rang the back-alley doctor. He really hoped she was still at work.

_ “Hello. Oh it’s my little guinea pig. What have you done now?”  _ Tae teased over the line 

“Akira who-” Morganna started. He jumped onto his shoulder, tail swishing across his back. The raven-head holds up a finger, silencing the cat.

“Are you at the clinic?”

_ “No, but I can be in... hmm… about 10 minutes. Is this serious?” _

“Yeah. Sorry, but there’s someone who really needs your help…”

_ “Okay, get here as soon as possible.” _ She sighed, hanging up on the highschooler. The Thieves looked at him expectantly.

The leader cleared his throat. “We need to get to Yongen-Jaya, are the trains still running?”

“No, not this late…” 

Great, they were stuck. What the hell were they supposed to do now? Akechi needed help; urgent help at that, and here they were stranded hours away by foot from the only place of aid. They couldn’t walk there and getting a taxi would raise suspicion too. Every option seemed to be littered with danger. The raven-head was left racking his brains, until he felt a tug at his hoodie.

“Wait.” Futaba materialised by Akira’s side. “I can call Sojiro. He can drive us back. He knows about us, so he won’t get all suspicious.”

“Won’t he get upset?” Yusuke questioned. That's definitely a worry. Akira's caretaker does almost everything he's asked begrudgingly after all.

Futaba waved her hand dismissively. “We can worry about that later.” It seemed plausible, even if it’ll be the most awkward car journey the trickster's ever experienced. They don’t exactly have a choice. With one last glance at Akechi’s passed out form, he nodded to the rest of The Thieves.

“Let’s do that then.” 


	2. Maya Blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Hello! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE COMMENTS AND KUDOS!!!! I got so excited haha it really made my day <3  
> This chapter is a bit lacking because it's all expostion again and due to that it's also much shorter. I wrote this a while ago and unlike the upcoming chapters, I decided not to do a rewrite, just a grammar check, so it might feel a bit off but whatevs. Also I've managed to get another job horray! Chapters may not always stick to a weekly schedule, but if they are late, they will be longer :)

The car ride to the clinic was painfully slow. Futaba had her headphones on; escaping into her own head- no doubt to a more animated reality. Akira felt almost jealous of her ability to escape the grueling journey. 

Sojiro glanced away elsewhere, whenever Akira tried to meet his eyes in the rear-view mirror. It hurt, reminding the trickster of the days where he had been labeled as nothing more than the ‘troublesome kid’ Sojiro had taken in.

The older man was definitely angry with them, anyone could deduce that, and Akira couldn’t blame him. If anything, it was a normal reaction when your adopted daughter called you up to help transport a hitman to a back-alley clinic.

The highschool boy recalled his caretaker’s upfront confusion when he had arrived at the scene. Futaba had been sparse with details to say the least; fearing his refusal. Sakura wasn’t the kind of man to refuse anything of his daughter, without great reason, but they didn't want to chance it. When the older man finally noticed Akechi resting against the grimy alley walls, his confusion altered into pure irritation.

_\--_

“What the hell is _he_ doing here with you?” He had demanded.

Haru straightened herself up right away and was the first to try to calm the older man down.

“I’m sorry,” she started. “A lot has happened. Please help us Boss!” She had then bowed at the waist towards him- an action that hadn’t only surprised the cafe owner. 

Ann followed soon after, seizing hold of Ryuji’s arm and making him do the same, with a little difficulty. Yusuke; ever the dramatic- nearly folded himself in half when he spoke up. 

“It would be a great debt. You’d receive our utmost gratitude. I will be-?!” Yusuke was cut short of his passionate speech by the cafe owner.

“Geez, that’s enough! Just… he better not bleed out on my seats. You hear me?!” 

He looked back towards his car with a sigh. “I can’t take you all though, so better get back home safe.”

The older man was met with smiles and a chorus of “yes sir!”. It was decided that Ryuji would be joining Futaba, Akira and Goro in Sojiro’s car. Before they left, Akira promised his caretaker to recap the previous string of events in full detail.

He gave the teenager a look, more of a frown, and told him bluntly, “I’m only doing this because of what you’ve done for Futaba.”

_\--_

That initial bluntness contributed to the now suffocatingly awkward atmosphere. Akira sighed and reached down to the brunette’s head on his lap, playing with soft brunette locks abstemindendly.It was strange how peaceful the sleeping boy was now compared to the hostility he’d shown prior.

Thinking back, Akira realised that seeing Akechi’s true colours shouldn’t have been that satisfying. They’d been suspicious of the detective since the beginning. It hadn’t stopped Kurusu trying to get closer to him, if anything, it only made the raven-head more determined to rip away Akechi Goro’s fake tv-ready persona. He wanted to find the truth between the walls of lies the other teenager had surrounded himself in. Akira had seen glimpses of his real personality and it left him hungry for more.

When he and Akechi were alone, the older boy sometimes let the memories of his late mother and dreadful childhood surface. The loneliness of it all saddened the leader of The Phantom Thieves, but his sympathy was always met with distaste. Akechi hated pity more than anything. He wanted to be acknowledged for what he was, not receive condolences.

He couldn't change his past after all. It also didn't mean that he couldn't just move on, he'd simply kept all that hatred underwraps, smoothed it over with plastic smiles and artificial happiness.

It was disheartening for Akira, who was so used to playing therapist for his confidants. He found himself suited to the role, his saviour complex ment no one was turned away. He wanted the older boy to open up to him but it seemed like a pipe dream.

He knew Akechi was hurting, but the intensity of his depression astounded Akira. When the brunette turned his persona's psychotic skill onto himself, it was traumatising to say the least. Hearing how far gone the boy was for a feeble revenge scheme, made the younger boy feel like he'd failed him. If he only tried a little harder, maybe Goro wouldn't have followed them into the engine room. He could have been stopped before trying to kill them- before he tried sacrificing himself. 

Akira has a chance now, Goro Akechi wasn't dead yet, he hadn’t faded and most importantly not out of reach. Coincidently, neither was the Phantom Thief’s drive to save him.

Ryuji, having woken up beside the raven-head, squinted and rubbed his eyes. Akira looked out the window and started to recognise certain buildings and landmarks. They were close.

Five minutes passed and they were finally pulling up in the vehicle outside Tae Takemi's clinic.

Ryuji was the first to get out: barreling out and opening the car door to help get an unconscious Akechi out of the small car. It was a struggle, it took a while to get the boy onto the blonde's back without hurting him.

Sojiro watched the boys from the rear view mirror. His still-lit cigarette crumbled on the pavement parallel when he carelessly disregarded it.

Normally his gentlemanly values would be disgusted at this act of disrespect, however, the older man’s concerns were elsewhere. Pulling his ever tired face into something resembling a solemn smile, he wished them luck before the teenagers ascended up the stairs. 

Ryuji was loud and boisterous as per usual, slightly jolting the brunette he carried when he launched himself up the stairs. As a result of the commotion, Akechi had woken up, although he was barely awake and kept floating in and out of consciousness. When Akira noticed the panic in his darting eyes, he gave him a reassuring smile. But in his head, he prayed the other would be okay.

Takemi's grimace didn't exactly calm his fears. She immediately rushed the boys into her doctor’s office and instructed them to lay the groaning brunette onto the table. Having done that, she then asked Akira to tell her exactly what had happened to him. 

\---

"I’m sorry but that’s impossible. If he was shot, he should be dead by now." 

Her words rang in Akira's ears- brain short circuiting. 

_He should be dead by now._ The weight of everything suddenly collapsed onto Akira _._ Had he not jumped over the watertight door in time, would Akechi - no - surely not… Akira couldn’t even imagine a scenario where the boy would end up dying alone on the cold, unforgiving metal floor of the engine room. It was too much. Who would miss him? Who would have wondered what had happened to him? What expectly would Akechi have been feeling as he bled out? Regret? Dejection? Hopelessness?

Or maybe Akira was being presumptuous. Perhaps Akechi would welcome death with open arms- his suffering finally coming to an end. The Phantom Thieves all knew the dangers of the metaverse. They’d all been in hazardous situations multiple times, on occasion coming back to the real world with numerous cuts, bruises and burns. Actual death, however, seemed very unrealistic; partly the reason as to why Akira was so readily accepting any newly formed persona users onto their team.

After hearing about Akechi’s experience of the metaverse before their fight, the trickster realised the very thin rope the older boy had been balancing on, over a pit of certain death no less, every time he visited the cognitive world. What would have happened had the brunette slipped up? No one would have been there to help him, he would have been alone after all.

Akira diverted his gaze back to Goro laying on the table, swaying in and out of consciousness. Tae must have given him some sort of painkiller- an almost blissed out expression played out upon his face. Their eyes met- Akechi’s reddish-brown searching feverishly for the other boy’s clear silver ones. 

How the _hell_ would he have been able to cope with losing someone as compelling, fascinating and incredible as Goro Akechi?

Akira was locked in his own head, his thought had been circulating for a while now. Ryuji decided that he’s had enough of the raven-head’s unresponsiveness. The blonde leaned in and waved a hand in front of the other boy. 

"Oh um," Akira perked up, snapping out of his daze. "Sorry. Uh, what…?"

Ryuji huffed and shook his head. "I was saying that we better leave her to it, bro."

Akira looked back to the older boy. They should definitely go home and let Takemi see to him properly. But the leader didn't want to leave the other boy's side at all, especially with no one knowing the extent of his injuries.

His decision was made for him as a cautious hand made its way to shake his shoulder. Ryuji didn’t have to even open his mouth, his eyes said everything. Reluctantly, him and Akira left through the door they came through.

As they started their descent down the narrow stairs, the blonde made way for the other to stand in front of him, crossed his arms and smiled encouragingly at wildcard. 

Akira tried looking away, he wasn’t exactly up for a confrontation right now. Ryuji huffed and brought the raven-head’s eye back to his. The trickster was met with an expression of utmost seriousness, a sharp contrast from the delinquent's normally happy disposition. 

“‘Kira you gotta leave Tae to it. It’s not like Akechi’s some little baby.” Damn that was harsh. The athlete wasn’t pulling any punches, was he?

“...”

"Look dude, I know he means a lot to you… and saving Akechi was… really admirable… but we can't just let him back on the team, not after hearing him confess to everything." He sighed. Then, after a burst of energy he pressed his hands to his face groaning dramatically. 

"Ugggghh… I'm not good with this sentimental stuff. That's what the others wanted me to say and I agree, but at the same time, we can't just let him go! He might run back to Shido, then we'd be in real hot shit…"

Akira pondered his friend’s hypothesis for a moment. They definitely couldn't have left Akechi alone after all that. At the same time, he'd hurt so many people, especially Haru and Futaba and it wouldn't be easy welcoming him back like nothing ever happened.

 _'Run back to Shido’_. For some reason, something about that outcome didn't seem genuine.

"...I don't think he will, not after he took that shot for me."

Ryuji blinked back at the other in surprise.

"Wait what? Wait, wait, what exactly happened behind that barrier, dude? We heard screaming and knew one of you'd been shot, but we didn’t see how it happened."

Of course, they didn't know. He remembered Haru’s face vividly full of dread, as she drew awful, horrible conclusions from the two bodies pressed against each other, bloody and bruised. He stared back at Ryuji, swallowing back his upset. 

_Brave face on now, leader_ , Akira told himself. 

“When I got over the wall… he- Goro was struggling.” Akira laughed joylessly. “We really did a number on him, huh?” He continued on.

“I managed to stab that shitty puppet. If only I aimed a little higher. I just ended up pissing it off. It um-” The memories slowly flooded back into him.

“It… It looked just like Akechi. One second I was there- then suddenly-”

The next words Akira couldn't seem to get out. Like a snake, the image strangled him. It sent him back for a moment- _Akechi’s sneer as he aligned the pistol_ \- but he refused for it to overtake him again. The raven-head clenched his fists.

“I was back in the interrogation room... I guess I shoved my trauma pretty far back, because when it turned it's gun on me... I froze. I let my guard down.” The wildcard blinked back tears of frustration, teeth grinding together.

“ **_I_ ** _fucked up_ ! I couldn’t do _anything!_ ”

Akira felt a burst of emotion, letting the sparks of anger out on the clinic wall. He punched it once- twice. It was violent and ugly. He couldn’t believe that he’d become so worked up that he was doing this in front of a teammate. Joker worked so goddamn hard to keep up the image of an unbreakable leader and here he was now, resorting to violence of all things. 

_How hypocritical_. Akira couldn't deny how much it hurt, but it was a hell of a lot better than breaking down into tears, especially with Ryuji here.

He had to be strong- he’s the leader after all . _He had to be strong_.

Akira felt nothing but his own weakness when Ryuji firmly grabbed hold of his wrist, stopping his fist before it collided once again with the wall.

“Bro! C’mon, _stop_!"

It wasn't as though he couldn't contine his harm with his arm trapped the way it was. 

"Hey, you did everything you could. It’s a normal reaction!" The blonde looked down. 

"You’re not some emotionless statue. I’m sorry... I wanted to be there for you, like you were for me but…” Ryuji’s eyes travel to Akira’s own. The words don’t need to be said.

The trickster let a sad laugh “...But I pushed you away, didn’t I? Can’t follow my own advice.” Akira rolled his eyes and slumped against the wall.

“Because I froze up, the cognition had a clear shot. I would have been killed on the spot had Akechi not…” He ran his hands through his hair. 

“He jumped in front; knocked me to the ground... Goro took the bullet for me.”

The blonde nodded, seemingly putting the pieces together. “...So he… I see.”

“He was already so injured. I thought that was it- I'd lost him.

_This is it, he’ll bleed to death in my arms._

Akira shuddered as the memory pressed into him almost physically so. He clasped hands then unclasped his hands; one coming up to wipe his face.

"He apologised to me... those could have been his last words…”

The raven-head looked up at the blonde, he knew the rest.

“Okay, he’s staying with us.” Akira did a double take. Was it really that simple? Ryuji smiled lightly. 

“For the time being- I mean, where else is he supposed to go? We can’t just dump him… especially after he went and did that for you.”

Akira was a little lost for words. A smile crept onto his face, growing wider as the other boy rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Thanks. I know you dislike him, so this means a lot.” Akira snuffed a yawn with the back of his hand. “It’s getting late, let’s go home.”

The boys started to walk out of the alley until the athlete came to a sudden stop.

“W-wait, where’s he gonna stay exactly?! Ugh we didn't think this through… I can already hear Makoto yelling at us.”

“It’s simple.” The raven head threw his head back.

“Goro’s staying at LeBlanc with me.”

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg it's over. The end really burned me out  
> Get ready for Chapter 3: Akechi Goro wakes up on the wrong side of bed.


	3. Charleston Green

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Update time!! This chapter’s a lil bit cute. Any time skips are indicated by a line break. Also, Tae’s clinic is twice the size. Sorry if this confuses people but there’s a particular scene I wanted to keep and I needed a large space :/

Akira didn’t sleep well to say the least. Too worried about the boy who was laying on an operating table. He’d been holding back tears of worry since leaving the Metaverse; they threatened to spill over every time his anxieties over the young detective spiked. 

Sometimes, Akira felt like he was a dam. It made things easier to keep his emotions at bay, it helped countless people open up to him. But at times like these, he wanted nothing more than to scream at the world, to curl up until his frustrations disappeared and he could just be calm for once. 

Once Morgana had finally settled down on his chest that night; snoozing away adorably, the raven-head finally let the mask of a composed leader flake away. He had made sure he was quiet when he wept. Throwing one arm over his eyes, in an effort to wipe his streaky face, he finally gave into the exhaustion. Hours after the ‘not a cat’ had instructed the boy to get some rest. 

When he woke up; for the third time that night, it was due to the persistent vibration of his phone. Akira blearily unlocked the device and held it up to his ear, letting out a wide yawn as a lady’s voice cut through the speaker.

“Good Morning. I called to let you know that your friend is alright.” There’s a pause. “He hasn’t woken up yet. There are some things we need to discuss, however, so you’ll be coming to the clinic in 10 minutes?”

Crap, the teenager wasn’t awake enough for this yet. It sounded like good news, with Akechi being  _ ‘alright’ _ . Although it wasn't a very assuring description, it was enough for Akira. Takemi being straight to the point as usual, was oddly refreshing for the teen. Perhaps with the worry of the Thieves’ current target, as well as Akechi’s mental breakdown and almost fatality, somewhere between it all Akira had desperately been craving for a piece of normality in his life.

He looked around sleepily. The attic was the same as usual; messy, dusty and packed with so many memories and personality that it didn’t seem to squeeze into the cramped space provided. The light from the window cast itself onto the bed sheets, giving Morgana’s onyx fur a soft, warm glow. While Akira never liked getting up early, there was something almost magical about day break and the early sun filtering in his room. He counted the ceiling beams and stared at the (possibly fake) plant.

Morgana himself purred lightly. He was stretched out on his side with what seemed to be a smile. No doubt the sunshine warmed him on otherwise a freezing cold winter’s day. Absentmindedly, the raven-head ran a hand through the soft fluff of the cat’s belly.

“...Hello? Akira?”

Uh oh, he still hadn’t replied to Takemi, had he? The boy halted his pondering and focused back on the call.

“Yeah, sorry. I’m leaving now.”

After hanging up the call, Morgana let out a grumble and stretched his legs. Blue slit eyes flickered open. Akira watched him as his black nose scrunched up, making the cat look mildly pissed off. The Metaverse enigma was obviously crossed with the realisation that he couldn't remain snoozing on Akira any longer.

“We've gotta get up so early?” Morgana moaned to his roommate. 

“Yeah. Tae’s already done so much for us already… it’s the least we can do. Plus, I kinda wanna be there when Goro wakes up." Akira admitted rather sheepishly.

Morgana made a small noise at this. His ears twitched in a telling way that something had dumbfounded the feline.

“ _ Oh god _ . This isn’t because of your crush on him, is it?!”

The trickster sighed. “You’ve got the wrong idea.” Where did he get that from? “He did kind of save my life. Besides, a gentleman always pays back his debts.” He winked at the cat.

“Hm hm.… likely story. I’ve seen the way you two look at eachother. You always forget i’m there with you, when you’re hanging out with him.” Morgana narrows his eyes.

“I was concentrating! You need to be when you play darts.”

“Concentrating on darts?” The cat threw his head back. “Ha! More like  _ concentrating on his ass _ !”

“Be quiet  _ Meowgana _ , or i’m not feeding you any sushi for a whole month.” He pet a fluffy head gratingly, smirking in victory at the cat’s very embarrassed reaction.

“ _ Don’t call me that!!! _ Wahhh  _ Akira _ ! You’re so  _ annoyinggg _ !!”

Morgana jumped off of the bed, nose high in the air as he stomped down the stairs. ‘ _ Always so sassy _ ’ Akira thought, holding back a laugh, and followed his roommate down the stairs.

\---

After throwing on what he hoped was a clean shirt and black jacket, Akira was out the door of Leblanc, and onto the streets of Yongen-Jaya; Morgana tucked away safely in his bag. It was cold out, as expected of winter. There was a slight breeze that carried roaming leaves, but other than that it was mostly clear. Elderly people and young children passed the teenager by on his way to the clinic, all lathered up in scarfs, hats and gloves alike. A few friendly smiles were sent Akira's way as he walked past. 

When he reached the clinic, his hands were red raw from the cold. The high schooler was about to enter, fingers reaching for the doorknob, when sudden awful thoughts crept up his spine, turning his stomach into a pile of knots. 

_ What if Goro’s still angry with him? If he refuses his help, then what? _ Akira tried to gulp down his doubt.

“Hey, you okay?” Morgana’s head popped out of the bag. He stared at Akira with uncertainty. 

“Yes I um…” Akira faltered. Reaching up to play with a stray strand of inky black hair, he huffed. “I’m just a bit worried. When we saw him last-”

“-You’re worried he’s still gonna be upset?”

Akira pulled his mouth into a shaky grin.

“I suppose so.”

_ Upset is one way to put it,  _ the raven-head thought.  _ More like I’m worried that he’ll be so furious, he'll hurt himself or someone else _ . The last thing the wildcard wanted was to see the brunette in any more pain.

It was almost funny: before, Akira refused to leave his side, now, he was more anxious than anything regarding seeing the boy again.

“He could still be asleep, so you might not die… yet.”

“Wow, thanks Morgana.” Akira sarcastically replied, however his smile grew into a more natural one after the cat’s tease. With the reassurance that he would not meet his immediate demise, he finally turned the handle and entered the practice.

Waiting for him was Tae, clad in her usual lab coat and punk clothes. After she spotted him, the doctor signaled him through to her office. Akira’s heart pounded as he was led through.

“Apart from a couple of things, he’s okay. I found nothing life-threatening, but there were a couple of causes for concern that I’ve patched up. When he wakes, I’ll explain in more detail.”

Akira nodded at Tae's briefing and took a deep breath as he was led into the small room. 

The first thing that greeted him surprised the teenager. Sure, the clinic was the same as usual. White muted tones of the wallpaper and seemingly random medical equipment that littered the floor was a welcoming sight even after all the experiments he'd undergone. He looked around the room for the detective.

Morning rays shone through blinds across to a quiet sleeping form. Whatever Akira had been imagining, it definitely wasn’t an image as soft as this.

Goro Akechi laid on his left side on the bed. The covers seemingly cradled his sleeping body, one arm in a sling, the other wedged under his body. Bandages covered what he could see of his back and the small visible area of his chest. Locks of brunette hair curled around the pillow, splaying out in multiple directions.

Like this, Akira could see the full length of the older boy’s hair… It was longer than he anticipated, shiny strands descending down to the end of his neck. Yet, the detective’s hair wasn't the only thing Akira hadn’t anticipated in length. With closed eyes, the boy’s eyelashes seemed impossibly long and outrageously pretty. His mouth opened only a fraction; more like a cute pout than anything else, as he snoozed away. 

This really wasn’t fair. Goro had no right looking so beautiful while sleeping.

_ And those weren’t very appropriate thoughts _ , Akira chided himself. He didn’t want Morgana on his case again, accusing him of being head over heels for the detective. Despite thinking just that, the trickster still tried to burn the image of Goro Akechi fast asleep into his retinas, forging a mural into his brain. Truly a hormonal teenage boy at heart…

“Are you even listening?!” Ah crap. Here he was spacing out on Tae for the second time this morning.

As the raven-head turned around to apologise, the punk doctor took the opportunity to bang her clipboard onto a head of black, wildly messy curls. 

“Uh, ouch?” Akira rubbed his head, faking a grimace under a playful grin.

“Stop getting horny over my patients.” Takemi tutted, folding her arms in return, but he knew her better and saw the playfulness reflecting itself back in her eyes. She sheathed her clipboard.

“I need to know who’s caring for him when he wakes up. Do his parents know about his condition? He shouldn't be by himself at the moment. Sure, there’s nothing life threatening, but he has several tears in his shoulder." She paused, contemplating the rest of his condition before continuing,

"He’ll be in that sling for a while and he’ll need replacements for his bandages daily. Also- hm, actually... I’ll see how he is when he wakes up.” 

“It’s been agreed that he'll stay with me, for now.” Akira clarified to the doctor. Tae stared him down suspiciously before eventually averting her gaze.

She sighed. “Okay, well at least he’ll be close by if anything happens.”

Takemi maneuvered herself around Akira and towards her desk, taking a seat in her large, comfy office chair. The raven-head directed his gaze back to Goro, while Tae tapped a pen against her chin.

The truth of the matter was that Tae had been up all night. Checking for more undiscovered wounds, cleaning away dried blood, applying bandages across the older boy’s scarred body and running test after test on the brunette. She was utterly  _ exhausted _ , but the longer she spent treating the elusive teen, the more questions she had. Her guinea pig and his rebellious blonde friend had been scarce with details. All she’d figured out from their rambling last night was that it had been an injury in the metaverse, and that he’d supposedly been shot.  _ ‘A clear hole through his shoulder’ _ , they’d described. 

However, when Tae examined the wound, there was no evidence of such damage and she’d been trying to twist her brain for answers into the early morning. There was no such luck to be had.

When Akira had eventually cracked a few weeks ago and told her the real reason behind his thinly veiled excuses for needing medicine, she’d been shocked. Any doctor, scientist or- well, anyone who believed in logic and reasoning, would’ve laughed off the teen’s explanation. But Tae knew when her labrat was being serious and after everything he’d done for her… she accepted his explanation. Things regarding his elusiveness suddenly started making sense once she accepted it.

Takemi only knew the family name of the boy she spent hours patching up last night, but he offered the insight she needed into the mystery of this other world. It seemed injuries carried over to both worlds to a certain extent, and normal cheap remedies could do a whole lot of ‘healing’ in this strange other world. Getting to be able to see how life threatening injuries in the Metaverse carried over to the real world first hand was an amazing opportunity for the doctor.

_ These Phantom Thieves sure put up with a lot, huh? _ She had realised while cleaning the cuts and scrapes that littered Akechi’s body.

She chose to ignore her persistent requirement for a scientific explanation now, as she looked Kurusu down. Anyone could sense the tension that had infiltrated into the raven-head’s body when he had entered the room. His expression showcased his worry, but there was a certain degree of awkwardness in his posture that didn't seem to suit him.

“Hey, at least take a seat. We’ll let him wake up first and then I’ll explain how we’re going to treat him.”

Akira’s eyes opened wide for a brief second, before taking a spare chair next to the bed and shuffling onto it. Morgana made himself comfy in Akira’s bag. The quiet boy cradled his face in his hands, arms resting on his knees as he waited impatiently for Goro to wake up. 

Minutes felt like hours as they passed by. The monotone ticking of the clock and deep relaxed breathing from Akechi almost made Akira vulnerable to falling into unconsciousness himself.

It was when the trickster had started struggling to keep his eyes open, that the brunette’s sleeping form became more restless. Within a couple of moments, and with a quiet sigh from the boy, wine red eyes flickered open. Akira broke out a small smile as Goro let out a yawn and tried sitting up. He made a small noise at this - probably becoming more increasingly aware of the physical pain he was waking up to. Not wanting him to accidently hurt himself, Akira leaned forward until he was adjacent to Akechi.

With a teasing tone, he uttered a simple “Good morning, sleeping beauty~” straight into the detective’s ear.

Akechi’s reaction was immediate. The brunette whipped his head around, red eyes meeting grey questioningly, face heated. Akechi’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“Where… what?!” 

He continued to glance about hastily, quickly taking in the small clinic. Goro shifted again, jumping slightly when he tried to move his right arm. Before Akira could try to stop him from squirming around, Takemi’s chair spun around revealing a slightly pissed off expression.

“Quit moving pretty boy. You’ll reopen any wounds twisting about like that.” She crossed her legs over and exhaled a huff. 

“Honestly, teenagers…”

Akechi seemed even more confused now. Suddenly, the older boy brought a hand up to his ear; hidden in thick locks of brunette hair, quickly turning pale.

“Sorry... I-I think... something’s wrong.” Panic spread across his face. Tae looked up at him, before she spun back around in alarm to her desk. She grabbed something in a small box and chucked it towards the bruised boy. He couldn’t catch it though, and it ended up falling to the floor by the side of the bed. 

The two wildcards bent down, both reaching for it. Fingers met messily on the cold blue floor. It was odd for the raven-head to see the detective without any gloves.

_ His hands are warm,  _ Akira realised. 

Almost instantaneously, Goro retracted his hand, like the raven-head’s touch had scorched him. He stuttered out something incoherent, mouth opening and closing like a fish. Akira, who couldn’t fight back his amusement, retrieved the object, turning it around to examine what exactly Tae had lobbed at the detective.

In a small box with a photo of pills on the front, lay what Akira guessed to be some sort of painkiller. Akira was about to scrutinize them, reading the list of ingredients, until the pack was snatched from his hand.

“Hey i was-”

The younger boy cut himself off when he met Akechi’s serious gaze. Goro skimmed through the information, face sharp in deep concentration.

“I don’t need these.” He declared, “Look at it?! How are  _ these  _ going to fix this?!” He pulled his hair away from his right cheek. 

Akechi's ear was fully covered in bandages, but even through the dressing Akira could see the disfiguration. Part of the top seemed oddly flat and spots of dried blood crept out of the end of the bandage. Then what he had said earlier… could the other only have hearing in his left ear? The trickster couldn’t remember Akechi getting any injury there while they were in the palace. Although, Akira couldn’t remember much of anything- everything a rush and all dependent on instinct. 

Tae rolled her eyes. “It won’t be like that forever, and until it fully heals I can’t assess the damage. You’ll just have to take those when it starts to hurt. And with that shoulder to… let me know if you need anything stronger.” The brunette winced almost as though her words had enticed a physical reaction.

“...okay.” he looked down and somehow went even paler.

“...ugh… i feel…” He trailed off, suddenly snapping his gaze up to Tae’s in panic. 

She blinked and pointed behind her towards the door. “If you’re still feeling nauseous then the door opposite leads to the toilets.”

Almost as though waiting for her permission, he pulled the cover off his body and scrambled to stand on unstable legs. A single step, and flashes of pain broke through his mask of composure. Akira’s not having any of that. The raven-head was under the impression that Goro wouldn’t bother with all this false bravo, especially after what they’d seen in the engine room. Yet here he was, mask remaining stubbornly put.

Akira is next to stand, rising to his full height.

“He might hurt himself. I’m going with him.” The raven-head announced in a loud tone. Akira really didn’t like using his ‘Joker voice’ unless it was absolutely necessary but with knowing how resistant Akechi could be, he didn’t want the other boy shrugging him off and hobbling to the bathroom in a twisted show of pride. 

It seemed to be good judgment on his behalf, from the lack of verbal response given. Akechi’s mouth is agape, posture rigid and Tae even shows some surprise evident in her wide open eyes

“ _ I-I don’t want your-”  _ Akechi tried to argue but Tae cut him off with a shake of her head.

“Yes, okay then. Go with him. Don’t take too long…”

The brunette turned his head in shock. His teeth clenched and hands balled into fists. He broke his gaze with the doctor and strode to the door without looking behind once.

\----

By the time Akira caught up to the Ace Detective, Goro was sporting a limp and breathing heavily. He took in harsh gasp after gasp. The boy shivered and sweat; his body drained from a few simple steps, as though he’d been on a week-long trek through the harsh high temperatures of the desert. His barely covered-up exhaustion held weight on his body, but his expression was burning to the brim with anger.

The lights were dimmer in the corridor, shadows spread themselves up on the walls. With no windows, the morning light could not greet any part of the hallway and the cheap LED lights above struggled to illuminate the space. A blue hue covered Akira and Akechi from head to toe. It sharpened their features and defined the muscle on Akechi’s bare legs. The hospital gown is the only thing that dared to contrast the dark area, the white blue diamond pattern became almost luminescent. The gown swallowed Akechi, drowning him to the point where his collar bones became visible. It hung just below his knees. 

The tricker wondered if he were wearing anything other than bandages under it. He wouldn’t dare to ask. As much as Akira loved flustering the other boy, he was also aware of his violent potential and quite liked his body being in working condition.

“Hey, just take it slow. You’ve had a rough-”

“ _ Shut up _ , Kurusu-kun.” Akechi barked. His retort filled with hate and anguish.

Akira flinched.  _ That stung _ . Goro flung his head back towards the other.

“You can go, I’m not going to fall over.” Akechi glared and after leaning against a wall for a brief moment, pushed himself off, continuing his walk.

Akira could only look in shock as the older boy struggled once again to take more than a few steps before slowing down to halt. He shook his head.

“Are you serious right now? Aha and I thought I was the idiot…”

No response. _ Why can’t he just ask for help?  _ Akira’s frustrations finally peaked when Akechi took another weak step.

Akira moved to stand in front of the other boy. “ _ Seriously?! _ Goro,  _ goddamn it  _ just let me-”

“WOULD YOU JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!? And  _ DON’T  _ call me that!”

Akechi’s scream rang out, the tense atmosphere snapping like a string. Akira gulped, Akechi froze as the silence pierced them. Regret shone in the detective's eyes. He broke their shared gaze, turning his head away, a hand coming up to cover his mouth. 

“...” 

Akira didn’t know what to say. If he couldn’t argue back with words... then…

He strolled up calmly to the brunette’s side and tucked an arm under Akechi’s left armpit, hand coming to rest on the boy’s hip. Slowly, the trickster shifted half of the other boy’s weight onto himself. Confusion sewed itself into Goro’s face.

“W-what are you doing?” He asked in a much quieter, more timid voice. It’s a nice change from the hatred he’d been expressing earlier.

Akira grinned. “What does it look like, Detective?”

“You don’t need to..”

“I want to. Just- don’t throw up on me, please?” Akechi leant into the touch and sighed.

“Fine, but I really feel like I'm about to be sick, so let’s be quick.”

It was a bit awkward at first, feet were stepped on and they almost fell over twice but it was still a whole lot quicker than Akechi’s earlier stop-start pace was. When they eventually got to the ‘mens’, Goro didn’t even bother shutting the stall door before lurching over the toilet bowl and vomiting everything he had eaten the previous day. There wasn’t much to his dismay, and he couldn’t stop his stomach from contorting and throwing up residential acid and any other disgusting things his body deemed worthy of chucking out.

At some point, the raven-head came to sit close by. They were both crouched on the floor, Akira behind Akechi rubbing a comforting hand up and down on the upper space of the brunette’s back. Akechi whimpered a little at the touch.

He’d always hated being sick. Being sick made him feel gross, helpless and it was highly unglamourous. He imagined Akira being shocked by the juxtaposition of his ‘Ace Detective Prince’ persona versus the sight he was witnessing now. If he did, the younger boy made no sign of it. His hands lingered in Goro’s fawn hair, pushing locks away from his face. It was a much appreciated sentiment, even if Akechi couldn’t show it with his forehead lodged against the rim of the toilet bowl. 

After a while, he stopped being sick and now all he felt was a bit gross and groggy. To his distress, Akira nudges him, “sorry, I’ll just be one sec. I’ll come straight back,” and Goro tried not to groan as he felt the comforting body behind him leave.

Akechi set about making himself presentable by the time Akira came back. He wasn’t doing a very good job, but it was the effort that counts, right? 

The curly haired boy returned with a cup of water and set it down in front of the other boy. “How are you feeling?”

Akechi gulped down the water.

“Fucking awful,” Akechi replied, “but better than earlier I suppose…I could have just cupped my hands. There's a sink here.” 

The sink was gross and there was no way he would touch anything but the tap handles. The trickster let out a chuckle before remembering about the painkillers Tae had given him. She’d asked Akira to give them to her new patient as soon as he could. It looked like he was done emptying his stomach, so now was as good a time as any, especially after seeing the boy limp most of the way here.

Akira looked around, quickly searching the area for them. “Wait, where are the tablets?” Crap, where had he put them? "Uhhh…"

"Are you serious?" Akechi glared at him. Was this boy being serious? He'd given them to him when they'd fallen out of his hand… and now he's gone and lost them. That'll make the strange doctor very happy indeed. 

Akira patted down his pockets madly. He stood up. 

"I'm sure they're here somewhere…"

"You've lost them, haven't you?" Akechi sighed dumbfoundedly. 

"Nonono, I just had them… oh." Akira stopped his mad searching and met Akechi's gaze. He held back laughter, a few giggles escaped his mouth. 

There, handing out of his back jean pocket were the tablets. Akira made his way back over to Akechi, crouching down and popping one out of the foil in the process.

“Everythings a joke to you, isn’t it?” The brunette had a dopey grin on his face. The younger boy had never seen him smile that way before. 

"You are… completely useless." Goro said before throwing his head back and taking the pill. The raven-head definitely wasn’t watching the way his adams apple bopped with every gulp he took. His smile magically disappeared when the cup was lowered from Goro’s mouth to his lap, gaze averting to the floor.

“... Why am I here Akira?”

The raven-head tilted his head.  _ What does he mean by that? _ The tricker was happy that Akechi seems comfortable enough to be on a first name basis with him, though seeming it wasn’t reciprocated. He remembered his early morning banter with Morgana.

“Well, you were bleeding pretty badly even after we healed you in the Metaverse. We all agreed you needed proper medical attention but a hospital would attract attention so…” Akira scratched the back of his neck.

“...”

Goro looked at him. “That wasn’t what I was referring to.”

“Oh…” 

The trickster went silent. Did there have to be a reason? Akira honestly liked the other boy. Sure, his fakeness became a little infuriating but after understanding Akechi better after the events in the engine room, the curly haired teen had realised that he was just like every other Thief on the team. He wanted revenge on the society that had mistreated and abused him just as much as any of the others, he just made the wrong choices. 

Although that was putting it lightly, Akechi was responsible for Haru’s father’s death and had a hand to play in Wakaba Issiki’s passing. Even if it became impossible to stop doing the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns due to Shido’s control, he still kept doing them in order to achieve his own selfish, immature plan that they all knew now was never possible to begin with. Akira wondered if Akechi hadn’t been so blind, if he and Shido would both have been dead long before the Phantom Thieves formed... It wasn’t a nice thought at all.

Why was Goro Akechi still here? Why was Goro Akechi still alive? The answer was simple to Akira: even though he was a terrible person who had a lot of atonement to do, he didn’t deserve to bleed out on a ship- the physical representation of his father’s disgusting ideologies, alone.

“ _ Why _ ?” Akira spoke up, his thumb coming up to swipe away a few of Akechi’s stray tears. “Because I'd never forgive myself if I left you to die back there. You mean a hell of a lot more to me than you think you do.” Akechi looked complicated.

“I don’t understand how you can’t hate me after everything I’ve done. I’m a murderer Kurusu- I even tried to kill you too!” Akechi grabbed the hand Akira had brought up to his face and held it away from himself. That wasn’t enough to deter the trickster.

“Don’t forget, you were also the one who saved my life. Don’t  _ ever  _ forget that, because I won’t anytime soon.”

“That doesn’t make me any less innocent... maybe you should just forget about me.” Akechi tried again to pull away.

“I couldn’t even if I wanted to. Please Akechi, stop blaming yourself for everything.”

The detective’s eyebrow slanted down.

_ “I am _ the one to blame. All the mental shutdowns, the psychotic breaks- it was all _ me _ ! You know this, so why- _ why _ -?!” Tears escaped down his face and fell onto the tiled floor.

“- _ Why _ are you saying you want me around?! I  _ don’t  _ understand! I-I  _ don’t  _ get it! Do you even  _ realise  _ what you’re saying?!” The older boy was sobbing now. His breathing becoming harsher, his body folding itself inwards.

“I’m awful. I’m a liar and I’ve hurt so many people. I  _ should  _ have died back there. I wanted to- It’s what I deserve. Yes I saved you! I needed to, you’re the only person in _ my entire life  _ except her who ever gave a shit about me. I realised then it was you or me a-and I- _ I _ -”

The brunette had been alone for a very, very long time. It was clear to Akira that Akechi had never opened up to anyone before; not the way he opened up to the raven-head. It made him even more sad and angry at the world after grasping just how cruel fate had been to the older boy. It might take a long time to forgive him and some of the other Thieves probably never will, but Akira Kurusu wanted to accept him- to give him the opportunity for redemption and true friendship.

Goro’s breaths were becoming more erratic- as though he had trouble getting enough air into his heaving lungs. Hysteria clawed itself into his red eyes.

Akira recognized these signs. He’s seen them in himself. 

Breaking Akechi’s now weak grip, Akira engulfed the boy in a warm hug and fell forward until their foreheads touched. He didn’t say anything for a moment and simply traced small circles on Goro’s back.

“Hey, take deep breaths, just in and out.” The brunette held his breath, failing to slow his breathing. Goro held onto the other so tightly, the fabric of Akira’s jacket made sound. He buried his face deep into the crook of the raven-head’s neck and continued to bawl.

It took a couple of minutes until Akechi calmed down enough so that he could speak.

“I’m sorry… I don't normally get so… emotional.” The detective rubbed at his eyes and sniffed.

“Don’t be, it’s no good to keep it all bottled up.”

“... I suppose so. I feel kind of pathetic now…”

Akira leant back so he could see the other boy’s face. They shared a shy smile.

“I know this is random, but I agreed you know. It would have been great if we’d met earlier… before all of this…” He gestured around them.

“To be honest, I don’t know if it would have changed much, I just wanted to get to know you for longer.” Akechi admitted.

“You never know…” Akira threw him a grin.

“I can’t seem to remember that much about what happened last night... it’s all a blur.”

Maybe that was due to the fact he’d gone all psychotic on them, with the help of Loki. They could talk about this later, they’d been gone for a while now and he didn’t want Tae coming to look for them. He’d left Morgana in his bag as well… uh oh.

“I’ll tell you what you’re missing out on when we get back home.”

Goro tilted his head and stared at the messy haired teen. 

“Home?”

“Yeah… stay with me until we take Shido down?”

Akechi looked up, eyes going glassy.  _ Home _ … It was almost a foreign concept to him. His own apartment was just straight up uncomfortable for him. The cafe had always been a calming, perfect stress reliever for the boy. It wasn’t difficult to imagine being happy there with Akira, however those thoughts were not to be entertained. Akechi had a job to do after all and no future ahead of him. Now, things were different and it wasn’t like he could go back to the apartment anyway…

He was exhausted. Goro was so tired of fighting against the things he wanted more than anything. He didn’t deserve any of this, but maybe he could become a little more deserving of life by being with Kurusu...

“Okay... let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So....my notes for this chapter aimed for the word count to be 2k… not 5k jeez. I actually really enjoyed writing this chapter. I feel like there was maybe a little too much fluff? Especially in this part? And does Goro seem a little too out of character? Thank you so much for everyone's lovely words on the previous chapters! The kudos are very appreciated!


	4. Pitch Black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I had lot going on this week, both physically and mentally. I didn't want to rush anything out so I took my time. I'm actually really happy with how this chapter turned out!! Thank you so much for the comments on the last chapter :)

“And for just how long were you planning on leaving me in that bag for, _huh?!_ ”

The ‘not-cat’ wasn’t exactly pleased with Akira. Nobody would. Especially after being trapped in a school bag for half an hour. Morgana didn’t dare to make his presence known to the only source of help- not after the last time Tae had heard him meowing away. The punk had scared the life out of him, when he had once tried talking to Akira in her presence. 

_ “I’m not a vet.”  _ The doctor had said bluntly and shoved the boy out the door; Morgana in tow. She completely lacked any sympathy towards the Metaverse enigma and saw him as a pest. 

“Sorry, sorry.” Akira apologised, bending down to let his furry friend out of the cramped space. “We lost track of time, Akechi was so busy puking that-”

“ _ EW! _ You don’t have to say anymore!” Morgana stuck his pink little tongue out, imitating retching noises.

“Yeah,” Akira lazily smirked, “just like that!” 

“ _ UGH, Akira, stop being so gross! _ ” The boy in question let out a loud, deep-bellied laugh at Morgana’s whining. His chuckle was cut short when the door behind him swung open.

Akira looked up with Morgana. Akechi and Tae now stood outside the clinic at the top of the stairs. She carried a small paper bag with her ripped at the edges due to being stuffed to the brim. Akira presumed it was medical supplies that threatened to spill out of the bag.

Akechi had changed into his clothes and walked down the stairs with Takemi cautiously slow. The light green blazer he always wore was draped across his shoulders. It was hard to not notice the blood stains on the left side of the jacket. Nauseousness hit the trickster as he watched the other boy’s slow descent.

“It’s best not to attract attention so get back quick.” Tae instructed the boys. She thrusted the brown bag into the raven-head’s hands. 

“There, that should be everything you need.”

Akira nodded and muttered out a ‘thank you’. The back-alley doctor stared him down, before crossing her arms, shivering slightly.

“Hm, it’s gotten cold again. Call me if you need anything.” And with that she was gone.

Morgana had gone awfully quiet again, silently glaring at Akechi. The brunette shifted awkwardly on his feet. A tense atmosphere radiated from them.

The raven-head tried to shrug the awkwardness off. 

“C’mon we’re going back to Leblanc.”

“Are you positive this is a good idea?”, Akechi hesitated, “I can always-”

“-No, don’t even think about going back to your place.” Akira finished for him; surprised slightly by his own sharp tone. “We’re going back to Leblanc and then we’re gonna talk.”

Akechi sighed, the other boy certainly wasn’t leaving any room for reasoning.

“I suppose I'm in no place to argue…”

“Well let’s get going.” Morgana turned around and padded away towards the cafe.

When the feline was out of range, Akira turned to Akechi. The brunette looked exhausted and shook like a leaf. The temperature had dropped that day, even Tae had noticed. Akira had almost been jealous of how warmly dressed the other residents were that he’d seen on the way to the clinic. In just a light shirt and jacket, Akechi must have been freezing. Though as usual, he made no verbal indication of discomfort to anyone.

“You need any help?” The raven-head cocked his head to the side. His memory called back to how physically unstable he’d been earlier

“No, thank you. I'm fine Kurusu.” Akechi said without a hint of emotion, and walked with visible struggle after Morgana. The trickster felt like pulling his hair out, it was one step forward and two backs with his rival. His complete emotionless disposition was becoming more than aggravating. And here Akira was thinking he’d made progress with the older boy. 

_ Why can’t he just accept my help? _

Begrudgingly, he followed them back to Leblanc.

\----

The attic was still incredibly warm when they arrived- partly Akira’s fault. He’d been in a rush and completely forgot to turn the heater off. It’s not necessarily the worst mistake he’d ever made, and Akechi certainly seemed grateful to be greeted by the warmth, after battling the freezing cold outdoors. The messy black-haired boy’s glasses steamed up upon arrival, Akira was sure that he caught a smirk from the brunette. It disappeared rather quickly, Akechi’s face morphing into discomfort as he stood by the stairs. 

Luckily, Boss had decided not to open today; presumably spending the day with Futaba, after the shocking events and revelations of yesterday.

Akira made himself comfortable sitting on the edge of his bed. Morgana jumped onto the shelf and paced about, treating it like a climbing frame. The brunette was still standing around awkwardly. He looked so out of place. After everything that had happened, Akechi was surprised that he’d ever see this place again. The impossibility of it all left him feeling unwelcome.

_ I’m not supposed to be here. _

When he’d entered the Metaverse that afternoon prior, he hadn’t been in the best state of mind.

That previous morning he had been scheduled for an interview and turned up at 7am on the dot to the studio. Everything had been going seemingly perfect until a phone had rang in the middle of rehearsal. He knew something was off with the...operation, but until then he had been clueless as to what the issue actually was.

Ever since what had taken place in the interrogation room, Akechi had been on edge. He hadn’t slept at all that week. Whenever he passed out, nightmares toyed with him mercilessly; Akira Kurusu dying again and again and again, over and over. Increasingly crueler each time. The ghostly raven-head would then berate him and swamp Akechi with guilt until his own skull felt split apart in depression. 

Goro would wake up instantaneously, and throw up over and over again until he once again passed out… rinse and repeat.

Even after everything that had happened, the detective still had some control over his life and little sanity left, but when the chime of the phone rang out, Akechi realised what he was missing: Sae, the phone, the distortion… 

Akira Kurusu was still alive. 

He excused himself politely and ran out of the building; eyes crazed, his breathing coming out in short, sharp breaths. If the Phantom Thieves had out maneuvered him, then they must have found out the truth behind the ‘Detective Prince’ and his deal with Shido Masayoshi. The best part was, Akechi had no clue as to when and how. He’d been so meticulous with his appearance towards the Thieves- made sure there was no need for suspicion and yet, at the most important, crucial time, he failed and he’d never even realised it.

The years and years of fakery had been for  _ nothing _ . All the blood on his hands,  _ pointless _ .

Before Akechi knew it, in a raged state, he was in Shido’s palace. When he spotted the Phantom Thieves in the palace of his father’s distorted desires, his dread and hatred were amplified. The loose string that held his sanity had snapped; mania freeing his soul as he ran towards the sweet, warm arms of death.

Here, in Leblanc’s attic; with glow-in-the-dark stick on stars spread over the ceiling, an old desk littered with lock picks and scrap metal, a 15 year old TV and a bed supported crates, was not the Hell the young brunette had been yearning for. This wasn’t the punishment he deserved, far from it, this place- this place was-

“Hello? Are you in there?” Akira waved a hand in front of Akechi. The brunette stepped back harshly. Had he been so cooped up in his thoughts that he hadn’t heard the younger boy waltz over? It certainly seemed that way. 

The detective frowned at his lack of concentration. 

“Oh um… it’s nothing… sorry, I spaced out.” Akechi wouldn’t know where to start explaining things to the other boy. Akira stares straight back at him. From the narrowing of grey eyes behind oversized frames, Akechi can tell he isn’t convinced.

Wordlessly, the raven-head grasps Goro’s good arm. It’s a bit of a shock for Akechi, so unused to touch, and he has to repress a full body shiver when fingers run down his forearm towards his wrist. 

“We really need to talk,” Akira tugs on the brunette's wrist, “properly. Come on, you look like a scared rabbit, it doesn’t suit you.”

Before Goro can understand what’s happening, he’s being led to the bed like a child and is sat down next to Akira. He shuffles slightly, attempting to increase what little space there is between them.

“I don’t want to freak you out but.. can you tell me more about your past?” Akira asks, turning towards the other boy.

“The person I knew before: the Detective Prince, that isn’t you,” he pauses, “can you just be honest with me for a bit?”

Akechi looks ahead, purposefully not meeting the raven-head’s eyes. He won’t bother with asking why. Trust this idiot to even want him around after trying to kill him. Twice.

Akechi sighs, “How much do you want to know?”

“Just... whatever you’re comfortable with? We have time. I know it sounds weird but… I want to hear your side of the story.” Akira smiles slightly. 

The brunette was sure he had some sort of ulterior motive, but somehow, if it was him, the older boy didn’t seem to mind. Akechi would never admit how reassured that smile never failed to make him.

Morgana suddenly decided to jump down onto the bed, landing on Goro’s lap. 

“I want to hear about this as well.” The feline says, making himself comfortable. He’s being extra conscious of Goro’s right arm, while the boy in question thinks back to two years ago, his life at the many ‘homes’, and Shido’s deal. He took a deep breath before starting.

“After my Mother died, I was pretty much alone in the world. At first, I was passed from relative to relative, but none of them wanted the bastard son of a prostitute. By ten, I’d run out of ‘family’ to be passed around by. The next place that took me… the foster homes…” Akechi had to stop there.

The complete lack of love and the persistent feeling of being unwanted, a ten-year old Goro had been able to cope with- been able to understand. Nothing however, prepared him from the nightmare and injustice that was the foster care system. Thinking about it in detail again makes him sick to his stomach. These memories... they were suppressed for a reason.

“It was a mess. The first place was way too small for the hundreds of children packed in. No room, no space, no privacy. Unfortunately, I was put into a massive institution first thing and it… overwhelmed me to say the very least.”

Akechi draws his knees to his chest and looks down at the floor.

“I’d gone from that tiny apartment I'd shared with my mother, to very middle class housing that my relatives ignored me in, to sleeping in a room with twenty other children in a massive complex. I couldn’t sleep at all and the carers started getting worried. They were overworked and stressed. Some of them were better than others.”

_ Some of them actually gave a shit _ , he doesn't say.

“They didn’t have the time to help me settle in and before I knew it, I had completely secluded myself from the other kids.” 

The Detective- if he could even call himself that anymore, brought his one working arm tightly around both of his calves.

“...I got in a fight with some other kid… he’d stolen my toy light-saber. It was the last thing I had left of my mother... so seeing it be snapped and discarded like that- like it was merely  _ trash _ ...”

“I understand kids can be pretty shitty. It’s a pretty mean thing to do…”

Akechi groans. “That doesn’t excuse me hitting him though. Although, I definitely learnt my lesson afterwards…” He trails off, untensing slightly.

“The next institute they sent me was far worse. I’d never been abused by an adult before, physically anyway, but there… they almost encouraged it. Punishment was dosed out often and in newer, more creative ways each time.” Akechi scoffed,

“Fucking disgusting, really. Luckily, that meant I had more time than ever to study and even as horrible as that place was; we had privacy.”

Akira couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Was Goro defending that hell hole?

“That’s when things slowly started to change. I was surprised. I was always ignored as a child and then, all of a sudden, I was receiving praise from adults. It made the other kids jealous, and I started getting beaten more regularly by them. The carers; the nicer ones, they pitied me... and then they-” Akechi suddenly cut himself off.

His eyes sting, burn as though he’d been doused in gasoline and set alight. He tried to speak, but his voice contracted like a heavy stone was lodged down his throat.

Memories flood in wildly, savagely. It’s unwanted, unnessaccary. Akira and Morgana do not need to know this, nor does anyone. The brunette was more than happy remaining blissfully ignorant of the reality of his situation during this period of his life.

Akechi only realizes he’s wheezing when Akira reaches out extending a kind, cautious hand slowly towards him. With a yelp from the older boy, it’s batted away, a sharp action that breaks Akira’s controlled expression of gentleness.

A grimace frames the face of the raven-head, as he quickly retreats his hand. Akechi watches the warmth fade from his withdrawal. 

Once again, the detective was left cold and pathetically detached from the affection he so desperately wanted. But even when clearly shown that same affection, he couldn’t give in. He promised himself to never accept any of it. Not now. He couldn’t let himself become so weak and inadequate from one simple caring touch. It pertified him- he was disgusted at himself and he couldn’t let himself give in so easily. Akechi had learnt over years that affection had sowed the seeds of manipulation in his neglected body.

He couldn’t let himself grow so dependable on Akira. That's what he was so afraid of; dependency. Especially towards his rival. Besides, he _ had to _ always have the upper hand… he couldn't let Akira get bored with him.

Opening his eyes, that he hadn’t realised were so tightly screwed closed, Akechi took a deep breath. 

Akira could wait. If he wanted to hear Goro’s life story, then the younger boy had to be prepared for him to break down at some point. He wouldn’t show him of course. The brunette had been especially meticulous to keep those memories chained away, only ever to be released when he needed to be filled with chaotic anger. Despite the trickster’s wish for him to remain honest, he couldn’t- _ he wouldn’t _ , express the endless caverns of pain and anguish he had stored deep inside himself. Not in front of those two and not even by himself.

“They made sure… I was adopted by a family- it didn’t last long- it’s not relevant, and I don’t want to talk about it.” Akechi rushes out . He wasn’t exactly sure if the two Phantom Thieves had heard him properly and he found that he didn’t care. 

After clearing his throat he was about to speak up once again, until another voice, a deeper one, beats him to it.

“Akechi don’t. If this is hurting you- if it’s too much, then we can-”

“ _ No _ . Shut up, just  _ shut up _ . I’m telling you everything, okay?” The older boy defies and wipes his face aggressively. 

“After that,” he paused, trying to find the words. 

Akechi wasn’t surprised that out of all the things he excelled in, opening up his heart and sharing his feelings was something he couldn’t even hope to master.

“I… was consumed with rage. Even when I stayed in the foster homes, and even when I was being passed around, I still had hope inside of me- that despite all this,” Akechi gestured a sweeping motion, “despite everything that had happened, despite what I was _ \- what I am _ …I don’t know. I was foolish. I grew up.”

“I was so,  _ so angry _ at the world. I used to always think  _ ‘what can I do for this to be better?’ _ , or _ ‘how can I make them love me?’ _ . It was pointless, I’d never been so low and there was nobody there for me. I never felt safe  _ ever  _ in my childhood. I just wanted to grow up so I could bring everyone to justice. I started early.”

Countless times he had visited his cramped school library until as late as possible, searching for anything, any dirt or any contacts on those that had wronged him. Before he knew it, he had traced the veins of his family tree, in it, finding the man who had not only ruined his life, and drive his mother to suicide, but profited from it.

“Shido Masayoshi. Everything stemmed from him. All my suffering was due to his inability to not only be a father,” Akechi laughed self-deprecatingly, “but a decent human being. He was the reason my mother had to whore herself out- just so we could have food on the table. He was the reason she couldn’t turn to anyone for help. He was the reason that her body hung from the ceiling that day. He’s why… I knew I had to stop him. But i couldn't even touch him.” 

A bastard child like him could only dream about pulling down the men who continued to ruin the world. Akechi remembers the day when he finally found the answer, just to have everything crumble once again, forced to acknowledge his weakness. 

“Men like him, they’re carelessly destructive. They break everything they touch and then they’ll point the blame at anyone but themselves. She- my mother, she wasn’t the only mistress he had. Any woman who ended up being distasteful in his eyes was quickly discarded. Of course, that rule isn’t limited to those he had relations to. Any political opponents, people who publicly criticised him, business partners who tried to flee, even before he had me in his pocket, he still had the connections to not only ruin those unlucky individuals lives, but to also kill anyone that opposed his ideology.”

Goro slumps against the mattress, feet dangling, just short of touching the old wooden floorboards. Akira had never seen him look so tired. His expression was so open and unlike him. He would have done a double take but this only proved the severity of the situation. Akechi had a poker face that rivaled the trickster's own, a king of masquerading his true feelings. 

And here he was now. After years of deceit, his expression is as free as an open book. 

“Some years later- I was 15, when the Metaverse App appeared on my phone. Before that; something I could only describe as a God of sorts, told me that this was a gift, that he would aid me on my journey to destroy Shido Masayoshi... I don’t think that’s precisely what happened.” He shook his head.

Was Akechi referring to Igor? Did this mean he had access to the Velvet Room? He never showed any acknowledgement of seeing the ghostly gates in Sae’s Casino. Then again, doing so may have caused further suspicion on his part. Akira wondered just how Akechi had come to have two Personas in the first place. Loki and Robin Hood weren’t shadows turned Personas, so how had they come to be?

“It guided me as to where and how I could find Shido and become an asset to him. I first used the Metaverse to save enough to move out of the foster home I resided in. When I finally met Shido… and our contract began, I no longer had to worry about money.” 

He thought back to the initial luxury gifts he would receive in exchange for his partnership. First the credit card; an excellent way to keep tabs on a young naive Akechi, then the apartment; filled with hidden microphones and cameras. Then, when that hadn’t been enough control for Shido, after his first target, he had a lackey press a knife harshly against Akechi’s throat, with the promise of it’s return if he ever defied any command in the future again from his demented, sadistic excuse of a father.

“I was both bribed and then blackmailed to make sure my loyalty would stay true until Shido was elected as the new Prime Minister of Japan. I knew that was my chance and my deadline. Foolishly, I never realised that he was on to me from the very beginning of our contract.”

Akira nodded, Morgana shifts on his lap. “We kinda figured that you couldn’t just walk away from it. I suppose you didn’t actually have a choice.” The feline sighed. 

Akechi made a face, as though he was wagering whether to tell the two Thieves his thoughts. “No, I'm sure if I truly wanted to break free of his control, I could have.”

What?

“Then?! Why didn’t you-” Morgana started. The sharp look Akechi threw at him was enough for the cat to shut his mouth.

“ _ Idiots _ . Did you not listen to  _ anything _ I just said? I had my own goals. I needed Shido to suffer, really and truly  _ suffer _ . I didn’t know about changes of heart, and even now that I do, it changes nothing.”

“It wasn’t the best plan.” He shook his head. “I was young and filled with rage, it wasn’t ever going to work… I see that now. Still…” The brunette’s eye glazed over. Whatever he wanted to say locked itself between his lips. 

Morgana shuffled before standing up and pacing about. 

“What if you had met me? Instead of Akira and Ryuji coming to save me from Kamoshida’s prison, what if it had been you?” 

It was an interesting scenario. Akechi waited a couple of moments contemplating.

“I honestly don’t think it would have changed much. There’s no use in ‘what-ifs’. I didn’t want to become Shido’s assassin, but most of my targets were not exactly  _ exemplar  _ people. You can’t sit there and say that brainwashing criminals is any better either.”

“You don’t feel guilty?” Akira interjected.

“That’s not the case.” Akechi rubbed his forehead. “It’s more like I had no right to be… and with how things were so obviously going to end..”

Morgana and the raven-head shared a look. It was undeniable that if things had gone according to Akechi’s plan, he wouldn't have lasted long. Akira needed to be sure. Whatever answer he received was going to hurt.

He turned to the beaten boy, using a serious tone, and one deceptingly calmer than he was, “Akechi… were you going to kill yourself?”

He wasn’t expecting the vulnerable expression that fell onto the brunette’s face at that question. Akira wasn’t expecting him to smile either, and he wasn’t expecting it to be a real one.

“...yes, if Shido’s men didn’t beat me to it. I didn’t- I  _ don’t  _ deserve to live... I know that.” His hand dropped down from his face. 

“But I-” his breath became erratic, “I couldn’t stop myself from-” He turned towards Akira looking expectantly at the boy.

What did he want him to say? Akira was at a loss. Wordlessly he slid his hand over to cover the brunette’s own. Akechi jumped at first, it felt as though he would retract his hand straight away, but then he glanced down, squirmed slightly and slid his fingers between the trickster’s, effectively intertwining their hands. The raven-head was surprised about how natural it felt. He didn’t want to think about what that meant. 

Not here. Not now.

When Akechi opened his mouth, Akira pressed their hands a little tighter; an encouragement of sorts. While it resulted in a puzzled look from the detective, it seemed to be the reassurance that he needed.

“I still hoped for… I wanted someone to save me.” He finally admitted. “I tried dropping random hints… I wanted Shido dead… but… I knew if maybe you caught me out early, maybe things didn’t have to end up the way they did.”

“I don’t know. I didn’t want to think about it, but maybe I needed- wanted to lose, and yet, I also wanted nothing but to win. It’s so confusing Kurusu-kun, I don’t think I have an answer.”

Akira gaped at the detective prince. It was the truth he had wanted to hear from Akechi all along. Akira wasn’t blind, nor was he stupid. The detective prince, as secretive as he may be, had unknowingly (or knowingly- Akira couldn’t always tell), left hints of his true personality and involvement. The details of his past he would continuously overshare, only proved only to make his character more suspicious. It had confused the younger boy at first, but it became clear to him now.

Ever since they first met, Akechi had been calling out for help. He’d seen the signs and he'd done nothing about it. If only he had pushed or reached out a little more. Just imagining the difference and impact on not only Akechi, but all of Tokyo if he had interrogated him when they’d first became suspicious all those months ago. But he did nothing, he never stopped Akechi despite being aware of his involvement. 

Was he also at fault here? Could he even balme Akechi? Acting the way he did… if their situations had been reversed, then Akira wasn’t sure if the outcome would be any different.

Akechi looked deep into his eyes. “What will you do with me now? I will do just about anything, you save me from death after all.”

Akira’s gaze turned hard. That’s the exact type of talk that got Goro into this mess in the first place. 

“Don’t say stuff like that. You saved me too.” 

The trickster reaches out to pet Morgana. “I'm not the saviour everyone thinks I am. I have no right to judge you or decide your future. That’s for you to decide.”

Akechi’s brows turn up at this. He’d been expecting Akira to tell him to turn himself in; to accept defeat. No matter what he predicted the wildcard to do, he always managed to surprise him.

“We nearly ended up killing our targets too. I’m not opposed to it even now.  _ None  _ of the Thieves can judge you,  _ especially  _ when you were being ordered to.”

The brunette's eyes flew open, a gasp on the tip of his tongue. Akira Kurusu a murder? Was that why they had asked him that question regarding Morgana earlier? Had it been a test?

From the look on the raven-head’s face, he seemed unwilling to discuss any further. Akechi decided to prod a little more.

“Well I can’t stay here forever. Shido needs to be exposed soon or- well, you understand the consequences.”

The other boy nodded and shared a nod with his not-cat. “You’re coming with us.”

“ _ Have you gone completely bonkers?” _

Completely insane, Akira Kurusu was a madman. Who the  _ hell  _ helps his very-nearly-murderer of all people?

“Stop it, I can practically hear your thoughts. You’re going to help us change his heart. If you’re recovered and okay to fight that is.”

Akechi was utterly gobsmacked. “You’d seriously let me?!” It came out a little choked up, “But wha-what if I run, or never show up? You can’t trust me, I  _ know  _ you can’t. You have no way of knowing if I’ll keep my word.”

Akira’s smirk was the largest Akechi had ever seen it.

“I said I couldn’t judge you, not that I can’t give out a little bit of  _ punishment _ ,” The trickster even had the audacity to wink.

Akechi almost swallowed his own tongue. “ _ P-Punishment _ ?!”

“Yeah, haha. You’re staying here with me, think of it like house arrest. You’re in my custody now detective… well until your shitbag father is good for good at least.” 

Oh. Now he understood. He tried to calm the raging fires on his cheeks

“Like probation?” He shot back his own knowing smirk. The irony of the proposal wasn't wasted on the detective.

"Yeah, you got it. Worst sentence in the world I know." Akira jokes.

“Oh I can vouch for that.” Morgana jumped down to the floor, wearing a smug expression. “He snores most nights.”

Akechi frowned slightly. The soft wave of welcoming that spread over him was alarming. A change of heart wasn't the execution that he had been hoping for but… this alternative, fighting by Joker's side….it would suffice. 

He was lucky to still be breathing. He would just have to live with it, and any consequences that followed.

"Kurusu- no,  _ Akira _ , thank you. I'll never understand your kindness." 

The cat escaped down the stairs. “Ugh,  _ finally _ _!_ What a tsundere…” 

Akechi allowed one of his real smiles to rise up. It wasnot the charming perfect one reserved for the television shows. No, this one had a slight awkwardness. It was a little shaky and one edge rose higher than the other. There wasn't any physical way he could show the extent of his gratitude towards the Phantom Thief, but this would have to do for now. He owed Akira as much.

Their hands met once again, clasped around each other and shook in agreement. This had become their new deal after all.

"We'll make him pay." Akira promised.


End file.
